The wine list at Mrs K’s Wine Press is heavy reading: 12 pages, with more than 50 different wines per page. It can be overwhelming.
But if you’re totally confused, wine director Spiro Gioldasis can hook you up.
“If you’re planning to have a glass of white, I’d recommend our special tonight—a bottle for only $20,” Gioldasis offered on a recent visit to the Toll House’s million-dollar cellar. The place recently canceled a Spanish wine-themed dinner and had wine to spare.
So Gioldasis brought over a 2006 Montesinos Macabeo Jumilla, squeezed from white grapes grown on the plateaus of Rioja, Spain. The region has a reputation for putting out excellent red wines, using mostly aromatic tempranillo grapes. But as a budget-conscious blogger, the $20 bottle of white sounded like a deal.
And a good deal it was!
The wine had a distinct apple scent, strong enough to swarm through the sinuses. Its chilled, crisp taste carried smoothly through a dry, slightly acidic finish. The wine paired nicely with Mrs K’s mesclun salad, topped with crumbled blue cheese and candied walnuts ($7), and its subtle hints of pear fused nicely with the sweet pears in the salad.
Wine newbies would find the Montesinos Macabeo Jumilla very easy to drink, and it would work perfectly for outdoor parties on the deck. Or enjoy it within The Wine Press’s rustic European setting, among its brass candelabras on oak barrels, and the black-and-white photos dotting the exposed brick walls.
Can’t empty the bottle? Have it recorked and enjoy it at home.
The Wine Press at Mrs. K’s Toll House, 9201 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, (301) 589-3500
Maggie Ardiente writes wine reviews for The Penguin and for her own blog, Wine for Your 20s. She lives in downtown Silver Spring.
Lead photo courtesy of Flickr user Rob Wallace.
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We love the new Mrs. K’s wine cellar. It’s practically perfect, except that it’s too expensive to be a regular hangout (for me and mine, anyway). It’s also just a bit to upscale to imagine being allowed to hang out for hours in a booth playing cards and nursing a carafe.
That said, it really reminds me of a Parisian wine cellar, and the staff is charmingly old school without being snobbish. The food is great, and they were happy to accomodate our request for vegan entrees. Alas, like I said, it’s too expensive to go to all the time, but for special occasions or the occasional what-the-hell splurge, it can’t be beat.
Also, for you single and romantic types out there: take your date to Mrs. K’s wine cellar and you’d have to really F’ up to not have a great date.
I’m confused. Is this place at the regular old Mrs. K’s or is it in a different spot? If it’s in the old spot, is it a particular area of the restaurant?
Yea….. We still haven’t splurged and tried Mrs.K’s yet…. looks really good. Being a HUGE fan of brunch, the greatest meal-combo ever invented, that always sounds good… but $30 each is a little much even for brunch…. alas…
Beeble asked:
The Wine Press is in the Toll House’s basement, as an addition to Mrs K’s usual offerings. Not sure if there’s a separate entrance.
Jennifer’s right. And when I visited, I just went through the regular entrance and was led down the stairs to the basement. Definitely make a reservation in advance and include a special request to be seated in the cellar.
This was supposed to be a secret, Penguin!